The Women in Cyber Security conference is a
KINDI (University of Qatar) and
GEODE (Paris 8 University) initiative to encourage and empower women in the field of cyber security. This conference is supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Program.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security acknowledges the importance of the participation of women and the inclusion of a gender perspective in preventing, managing, and resolving conflicts and maintaining international peace and security. Yet according to Women's Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC), women are only 11% of the world's information security workforce.
Empowering women in the cyber security field has become an inevitable topic in today’s world where cyberattacks are constantly on the rise. Threats such as cyber warfare will require a wider range of skills composed of diverse and gender balanced teams, as noted in the report “UNSCR1325-Reload” from NATO SPS. And the small representation of women in cyber security is all the more regrettable when the world is facing severe labor shortage in that area.
The aim of Women in Cyber Security Conference is:
- To encourage and empower women in cyber security by highlighting role models who would share inspiring success stories
- To bring women from NATO countries and partners together to network, communicate and share knowledge about their field.
Cybersecurity is one of the main priorities for NATO and its partners such as Qatar and the participation of women in the cybersecurity workforce is an essential step towards the security in the region. The “Women in Cyber Security” conference (Cyber Women) will serve as an interdisciplinary platform, which will addresses technological and policy aspects of cybersecurity. The event will have a major regional impact since it will be the first event of its kind in the region.
The intended audience will be high-level decision makers from NATO countries and the Middle East/East Europe region, researchers, cyber security policy makers and students.